Taco pasta shells with ground beef and shredded cheeses is a tasty and hearty dish that combines the flavors of Mexican cuisine with the comfort of pasta.
Fill a large pot with water, add the salt, and bring it to a boil.
While the pasta water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, season with the sea salt, and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
Add the ground beef and the taco seasoning and cook the beef for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and cooked through, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon.
Add the salsa and the diced green chilis and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove the meat sauce from the heat and set aside.
Add the pasta shells to the boiling pasta water and cook per the instructions on the package.
Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
Return the pasta shells to the pot it was cooked in, place the pot on the stove over medium heat, add in the meat sauce, and stir it well.
Add the shredded cheddar cheese, shredded pepper jack cheese, and 1 cup of reserved pasta water; stir until the cheese has melted. If the sauce is still too thick, add more pasta water and stir to combine. Repeat until the desired consistency is reached.
Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed. Serve warm.
Pasta: For this recipe, you will need to use medium-sized pasta shells.
Ground Beef: I used 80% lean ground beef, but you can use whatever you prefer. You can also swap the beef for ground chicken, turkey, or pork.
Taco Seasoning: I use my homemade taco seasoning, but you can use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning. You will need about 2 tablespoons of it or a 1-ounce packet.
Add salt to the pasta water: The salt added to the pasta water adds flavor to the pasta itself.
Reserve 2 cups of pasta water. The starchy pasta water, when mixed with the sauce, will help it bind to the pasta more easily.
Let the beef come to room temperature before cooking it. Adding cold meat straight into a hot pan will cause it to release its juices, and the result will be dry and tough meat.
Use a large skillet because the beef will not brown correctly if you try to fit it in a small pan.
Don’t burn the pasta. When adding the sauce to the pasta, you need enough heat to melt the cheese, but not too much because it may burn the pasta. Keep the heat at medium and continually stir the pasta mixture so that none scorches on the bottom of the pan.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.